David Hanson: Robots that "show emotion"
New Section
In this section, Dr. David Hanson introduces his work on building robots with character, focusing on developing robots that can empathize with humans through advanced technologies.
Building Robots with Character
- Dr. David Hanson creates robots that are characters and aims for them to empathize with humans.
- The development includes technologies enabling conversational character robots capable of realistic facial expressions and understanding speech.
- The material used for battery-operated facial expressions is called Frubber, incorporating hierarchical pores and nanoscale porosity.
- Collaboration with the Machine Perception Laboratory at U.C. San Diego enhances the recognition of facial expressions and head orientation in robots.
- The Character Engine software controls the major facial expressions of the robots, enhancing their ability to perceive emotional states.
Advanced Robotics Technologies
This part delves into the significance of empathy in machines, contrasting it with their capabilities for tasks like killing, emphasizing the potential role of character robotics in fostering empathy in robots.
Empathy in Machines
- Machines are becoming highly capable but lack empathy; character robotics could introduce empathy into machines' behaviors.
- Dr. Hanson has developed 20 robots over eight years, aiming to achieve human-level intelligence and empathy in machines for a hopeful future.
Innovative Robot Applications
Here, Dr. Hanson discusses innovative applications of his robot technology, including perceiving people's presence and creating interactive interfaces for more intuitive human-robot interactions.
Innovative Applications
- Robots developed by Hanson Robotics can perceive individuals in a scene, remember people's locations, and interact naturally with multiple individuals.
- An artistic project involved creating an android portrait of science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick using natural language processing to enable conversations based on his writings.